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Posted

You started a stellar thread or thought of a witty reply. Then you use a dreaded "Farang" to describe some foreigner.

Personally I do that, but want to stop.

What should be a good alternative?

Westerner is just too specific. Not all of us are Westerners.

Foreigner seems like a good choice, but describing a fellow in Thailand as a foreigner just sounds condescending and wrong.

Expat? but some of them are tourists?

Any ideas?

Farang does seem like the only option.....

Also, I will try to quit 555. I don't speak a word of Thai and 555ing doesn't really make me stand out in a conversation.

Posted

You answered your own question "Farang" to describe some foreigner.''

Farang means foreigner.

Guava were called Farang because they came from abroad.

Dill is called pachi farang or pachi lao or foreign cilantro / Lao cilantro because it comes from another country.

Now; whats offensive is not the word itself; as 'foreigner' has nothing offensive, it's the fact that we are defined by it. Referring to someone as the 'farang' is a constant reminder that he is not part of a community.

Posted

I always refer to other foreigners (including myself) as foreigners, that's what we are.

People who use the word farang when talking about people sound like complete morons.

Posted

Just say farang. It's fine, and the blustering of those who've decided it's offensive always raises a smile.

In a recent thread you asked someone to give you a direct example of where you repeatedly belittle those who have a different opinion to you. Can you still not see it ?

Posted (edited)

How about 'Not Thai'

@BangkokKen, farang means caucasian descent, you can be Thai and farang at the same time (my son is).

@SoiBiker, my coloured friend is not farang, my Korean friends are not farang, and my Japanese pal is not farang.

(Neego, Gowlee and Nippon to the Thais)

However,

I don't feel any need to describe anyone by their racial background.

Their names will do just fine, in a pinch their nationality will do.

But I guess some just like to use a person's most obvious physical aspect, which would mean shorty, fatty, big nose, blue eyes, baldy, four eyes, ginger nob ...... etc. All of which are far more descriptive than 'farang'.

But it just doesn't sound polite to me.

Edited by MaeJoMTB
Posted

I always refer to other foreigners (including myself) as foreigners, that's what we are.

People who use the word farang when talking about people sound like complete morons.

Yes, it's difficult to argue with that; a non-Thai is a foreigner. Just for convenience I've tended to use 'farang' but as I've never felt quite right about it, I think I'll go over to 'foreigner' now - Cheers

Posted

Maybe it is rare that we need to distinguish, a person is a person.

Thai's do distinguish: Another Thai to them is a "Khun Thai" (=Human being Thai).

When was the last time, you have been addressed with "Khun Farang" ?

Cheers.

Posted

Not even 5 posts before someone thought he'd educate us with the word's etymology . . . "guava" this, "French" that?

Still, guess this incarnation of the age-old debate should run for a good 10 pages this time round before mods shut it down

Posted

"Farang" was yesterday. We should address each others by "Hello fellow ATM" !

A scenario: 2 long-noses (Farangs) meet at a bar in Pattaya: Greeting each other by : Hello small ATM or hello big ATM.

This would make it unnecessary for the staff to ask the infamous questions "Where you come from" and "Where is your Hotel?" (Serving only the purpose of assessing a Farangs financial capabilities).

So then,Cheers fellow ATM's.

Posted (edited)

You answered your own question "Farang" to describe some foreigner.''

Farang means foreigner.

Guava were called Farang because they came from abroad.

Dill is called pachi farang or pachi lao or foreign cilantro / Lao cilantro because it comes from another country.

Now; whats offensive is not the word itself; as 'foreigner' has nothing offensive, it's the fact that we are defined by it. Referring to someone as the 'farang' is a constant reminder that he is not part of a community.

No they don't.

Never heard a Thai use

that word.

Edited by seedy
Quote hidden post
Posted

Maybe it is rare that we need to distinguish, a person is a person.

Thai's do distinguish: Another Thai to them is a "Khun Thai" (=Human being Thai).

When was the last time, you have been addressed with "Khun Farang" ?

Cheers.

i have been called 'khun (my name)' many times, but only in official letters or business addresses.

and i refer to my laos mother in law as a 'fellow farang' and no one seems to take offense - i think.

when i came to australia 35 years ago i was a 'new australian' - but i was australian. i know that no matter how many years i will live in thailand i will never be thai and still be referred to as 'farang'. so that is what i am here.

i don't mind being talked about as a farang but i do ignore anyone addressing me as such.

Posted (edited)

You answered your own question "Farang" to describe some foreigner.''

Farang means foreigner.

Guava were called Farang because they came from abroad.

Dill is called pachi farang or pachi lao or foreign cilantro / Lao cilantro because it comes from another country.

Now; whats offensive is not the word itself; as 'foreigner' has nothing offensive, it's the fact that we are defined by it. Referring to someone as the 'farang' is a constant reminder that he is not part of a community.

No they don't.

Never heard a Thai use

that word.

Thais say Negro for anyone who looks African. Farang is an inoffensive and quite normal Thai word for anyone Caucasian looking.

Edited by seedy
Quote hidden post
Posted

Farang Falang Alien either 1 of the 3 will upset someone on here so go for it man make a point of upsetting someone every day for 2016 then they may do an award for that as well as poster of the year, lol.

Posted

Reminds me of the uk series the prisoner you are number 6.

Number 6: I am not a number. I am a person

Number 6: Everybody votes for a dictator.

lol so true but missed even though I did have to trot home to watch as I couldn't afford the beer as well as a dvd recorder.

Posted

Reminds me of the uk series the prisoner you are number 6.

Number 6: I am not a number. I am a person

Number 6: Everybody votes for a dictator.

lol so true but missed even though I did have to trot home to watch as I couldn't afford the beer as well as a dvd recorder.

I think you mean VHS recorder.

Posted (edited)

Just say farang. It's fine, and the blustering of those who've decided it's offensive always raises a smile.

Esoterically speaking, I find the farang term usage to be ridiculously hilarious, and on par for the course, considering the source. A Thai neighbor finally spoke to me, after one-year, by asking "where you come from?" My smiling-face reply: "I come from Earth", I answered wai.gif, thus leaving my new Mercedes-Benz driving neighbor scratching his educated pointed head, as he smiled in perplexed return.coffee1.gif

Edited by TuskegeeBen
Posted

Non-Thai ?

There was a topic I started in the CM forum regarding an escalator incident and a farang family. Decided not to use the word farang to prevent members finding it an excuse to startup another 'farang' debate <just like this topic will probably go>. So used non-Thai family. Seemed to work. smile.png

Posted

Farang also has the bonus fun factor of the many different spellings.

Furung, felang, fereng, just a very small list, but we all know what they mean.

Are people just as insulted by fereng as they are by farang?

Posted (edited)

You answered your own question "Farang" to describe some foreigner.''

Farang means foreigner.

Guava were called Farang because they came from abroad.

Dill is called pachi farang or pachi lao or foreign cilantro / Lao cilantro because it comes from another country.

Now; whats offensive is not the word itself; as 'foreigner' has nothing offensive, it's the fact that we are defined by it. Referring to someone as the 'farang' is a constant reminder that he is not part of a community.

No they don't.

Never heard a Thai use

that word.

No -- they use 'Kuhn'.

Edited by seedy
Quote hidden post
Posted

How about 'Not Thai'

@BangkokKen, farang means caucasian descent, you can be Thai and farang at the same time (my son is).

@SoiBiker, my coloured friend is not farang, my Korean friends are not farang, and my Japanese pal is not farang.

(Neego, Gowlee and Nippon to the Thais)

However,

I don't feel any need to describe anyone by their racial background.

Their names will do just fine, in a pinch their nationality will do.

But I guess some just like to use a person's most obvious physical aspect, which would mean shorty, fatty, big nose, blue eyes, baldy, four eyes, ginger nob ...... etc. All of which are far more descriptive than 'farang'.

But it just doesn't sound polite to me.

Wrong

Farang Pachi is cilantro from Lao; as far as I know Lao is not a Caucasian country

Posted

You can use foreigner or westerner. Farang is a slang, yet common Thai term used to describe white foreigners. It translates to French person and is used in much the same way as Chinaman or Oriental was commonly used to describe Asian people in the west.

If it's used casually, by Thais or foreigners, I don't have a problem with it. The only time it really bugs me is when Thai media use it in a professional manner. Like when a newspaper or other publication of Thai origin chooses to translate a statement word for word from Thai, yet for some reason do not translate the word farang to foreigner and just write farang. I also feel government and other public officials should not use it either, but they have enough other problems to fix first.

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